Some Great Facts About Solar Energy

If you were to ask people what solar energy is, most would be able to tell you that it’s, basically, energy generated by the sun. You’ve probably heard about solar powered cars, solar powered fans and other neat gadget-type things. What you probably don’t know about solar energy is how much of it is being wasted and how that waste could be put to good use while creating a cleaner, sustainable, renewable and Earth-friendly environment at the same time. Here are some interesting facts about solar energy that will help demonstrate what we mean.

The Earth gets enough direct sunlight in just one hour to power the entire world for a year.

Stop and think about that statement for just a minute and understand the gravity of what it’s saying. Each hour of direct sunlight that reaches the Earth produces enough solar energy to power the entire world – the WHOLE world, day and night – for a year. That’s 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Assuming that 12 out of 24 hours in a day are filled with direct sunlight, that means each DAY the sun produces enough solar energy to keep the world going for TWELVE years.

A 100 mile by 100 mile grid of solar panels would produce as much energy that the United States needs each and every day.

This means relying on solar power only – not electricity, natural gas, oil, coal or any other expendable fossil fuel. So long as the sun continues to shine, the United States could harness all the energy it would ever need in a manner that’s cheaper and cleaner than current energy production methods that are being used today.

Solar energy leaves no carbon footprint behind.

Our atmosphere has been trampled by carbon footprints left behind by energy production plants and that’s why it’s in such a state of disrepair. Switching to solar energy would mean a cleaner environment and less global warming, which means we would leave the world a better place for our children and our grandchildren.

It takes less than ten minutes for solar energy to travel to the Earth.

In fact, it only takes eight minutes. Isn’t that amazing? Not only is there an abundant supply, but it’s delivered quickly, as well. Pretty impressive, considering how far it has to travel.

Although expensive, once solar panel have been installed in a home or business, they require no upkeep and last up to forty years.

During those forty years, most solar panels are covered by a warranty that lasts just as long as they do so even in the unlikely event of a problem or issue, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that most are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

Eighty five percent more solar panels were installed during the first part of 2012 than in previous years.

This means that more and more people are realizing the benefits of solar energy each and every year and taking advantage of what it has to offer. Will you be one of them?

Alan is a solar energy consultant and he is passionate about energy. He is working with AGL Solar in Australia from last 4 years and provide consultation on solar system installations for residential use. AGL has been a trusted energy company for 175 years.